The present invention relates to a quick-coupling assembly for fluid conduits.
In a known quick-coupling assembly one of the coupling portions is provided with a number of balls with a certain mobility in a radial direction, said balls falling down into a groove on the outer side of the second coupling portion when the first coupling portion is passed over the other. The balls are kept in place in the groove by a casing which is pushed over the balls preventing these from leaving the groove. This assembly demands a close running fit and is relatively expensive to produce.
There is also a quick-coupling assembly previously known (US-PS Pat. No. 3,887,222), where a compressible lock ring is mounted on to the inner coupling portion, said lock ring being provided with a conical surface intended to cooperate with a cam ring restrictedly axially displaceable in the outer coupling portion. In a connected position the lock ring is to be fitted between the cam ring and a stop ring, and at the disconnection the cam ring is to cooperate with the conical surface of the lock ring, at which the lock ring is compressed, so that it can be moved past the stop ring. This earlier known assembly has several disadvantages. For one thing the assembling offers difficulties, as the different rings must be pressed into or on the coupling portions respectively. Furthermore, it is extremely questionable if it is possible to fit the lock ring between the cam ring and the stop ring, as the cam ring will be wedged onto the conical surface of the lock ring, when it is displaced to make contact with its stop surface, at which it is brought back by the lock ring when this is brought back, and thus the lock ring cannot slide into its locking position.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a quick-coupling assembly in which connecting as well as disconnecting work in a simple and easy way. Besides this the quick-coupling assembly should be easy to produce and install.